56 Comments

      1. Brittany Beier says:

        I made mine with drywall compound/ MUD. Worked awesome aswell !!

  1. I love post like this. The break down of the recipes is so helpful. I have never used chalk paint before and would love to try it out on a dresser or too. I have a store that sells it near by so I might check it out. Your dresser turned out fantastic and I really love the gold accents!

  2. I will follow your adventure for the perfect DIY chalk paint! Thoroughly enjoying it so far!
    MC has conquered Annie so I don’t want to rock the boat!

  3. I have been wanting to try using chalk paint on something as well! That pink dresser turned out so cute. LOVE.

    1. The pink would be perfect for you for sure and thank you so much Kristen!

  4. love this Julia! 🙂 thank you so much for posting this, I’ve been wanting to try chalk paint but I’m afraid of moving away from spray paint! I would love to try this on a dresser we are using in our living room! 🙂
    wish you a fun weekend 🙂

  5. Thank you for sharing this! <3 the pink dresser too 🙂 I had no idea the plaster recipe was carcinogenic..and I recently did a desk for my daughter with that POP recipe. 🙁 Do you know if there is anything I can do to seal the paint? It turned out sooo nice too. Ugh. 🙁 Thanks!

  6. Calcium Carbonate huh? I’ll maybe have to give that a go some day. I’ve only used the baking soda recipe (mostly because that’s what I have on hand all the time). I can never get it quite as smooth as I want…and the taste that I get in my mouth when sanding is gross from inhaling the dust (usually too lazy to wear a mask!).

    1. Never heard of a baking soda recipe.
      I’m usually to lazy to wear a mask too 😉

    2. Anonymous says:

      I was looking for a chalk paint recipe and found yours using Calcium Carbonate which was great since I am painting a changing station for my niece. I couldn’t locate it at any of the pharmacies but all 5 pharmacist said to get Tums and grind them up. 1 mini food chopper and 20 Tums later I had more than enough. It had a few small “lumps” that I pushed aside and what was left “melted” when mixed with water. Turned out creamy and went on smooth. It will take at least 3 coats but stayed creamy in lidded plastic container (I did put plastic wrap on top of paint to make sure the air in the container didn’t dry it out).

      1. You can get calcium carbonate in pet stores (used as dietary additive for reptiles). And the bags come in the perfect size. You can but smaller plastic jars as well!

    3. Hmmm, tums…interesting! Let me know how it turns out when you are all done. And if you don’t mind, I might share it with everyone else on the blog and try it myself 😉

  7. Great post! I’ve been thinking about trying the calcium carbonate. We sometimes use a paint sprayer..do you know if you can use it in a sprayer??!

    1. Hi JoAnn, I wouldn’t use it in a paint sprayer, since it needs to be very thick and the paint in paint sprayers has to be on the thin side.

  8. I have felt the same way about chalk paint. I’m not really into the rustic country style but some pieces just can’t be painted any different.

  9. Thanks for the info Julia! I have always wondered about these recipes but have been hesitant to try them out. Thanks for doing some of the legwork for me 😉

  10. I purchased my first can of A.S.C.P. to use on my son’s bedroom furniture. I loved the results, but the price, not so much. Thanks for sharing a cheaper version.

  11. If you are worried about toxic ingredients, both the PofP and the Unsanded Grout contain silica, which can badly damage the lungs if you sand and don’t wear a respirator. It seems like the calcium carbonate would be a lot safer. I don’t think the CeCe brand has anything in it that you need to worry about. The ASCP paints don’t list ingredients, and it does have an odor, but I don’t know whether or not it is safe to sand it unprotected.

  12. Anonymous says:

    what kind of wax do you use?

  13. Anonymous says:

    Hi! Wondering what kind of wax you use? Thanks, Shannon

  14. Ahhh…pink and gold! Such a gorgeous combination! I have never used chalk paint before, but you have inspired me to consider it now…

  15. Ahhh…pink and gold! Such a gorgeous combination! I have never used chalk paint before, but you have inspired me to consider it now…

  16. Not sure about plaster of paris being carcinogenic its used for plaster casts in hospitals, you would have a lot of sick nurses and patients

  17. Fantastico!!! I love it all, even the baby pink! What is the ‘wax’ you speak of?
    How do you ship these? I”m in love. Following!

    1. Thanks Dawn! The wax is regular clear furniture wax. And I sell the furniture in my Etsy shop which gets shipped usually via ship.com

  18. Have you worked on changing the recipe yet or “tweaking” it as we speak.. How long can u keep paint for after mixed in a sealed container?

    1. Hi and I’m sorry but I haven’t played around with the recipe yet. Waiting for the long winter month to pass first. The grout recipe goes bad right away but the calcium carbonate one is able to stay good for a really long time.

  19. Hello! I featured your dresser in my monthly blog series, Get Your Color On!. Each month I select a color, provide tips on how to decorate with it, and feature other bloggers with their projects that relate to this color.

    This month’s post is all about pink, so I featured your dresser because I love how chic and soft the color is in the room. It’s a perfect combination of sweet and glamorous with the gold.

    Feel free to grab a featured button and check out my post at Get Your Color On! Pink. Thanks for sharing your wonderful creativity!

    1. Hi Kristi, it was leftover paint from my daughter’s bedroom and the color is Hopeful by Behr 690A-2 Good luck!

  20. Jennifer King says:

    This is so so so gorgeous!!! OMG I want to do this to all of my daughters furniture. LOL Thanks for posting and sharing this!

  21. What finish latex paint did you use on the pink dresser with the calcium carbonate recipe? Thanks!

    1. Hi Cara, it was eggshell paint.

  22. I personally have found cornstarch to be the perfect “chalk paint” additive! Love it and my friends who have used AS love it more than hers!

    1. Oh cool, I have to try that!

  23. hi what kind of brush do you use to apply the paint?

    1. I actually used my standard Purdy brushed that you can find at any home improvement store

  24. Hi. I love your pink dresser. I like to use the cheapest flat white paint that walmart has. It is 8.99 per gallon at my walmart. It is ready made and i just have them shake it up for me. I use craft paint with it to make whatever color i want. It goes on smooth, and dries chalky. I sand it wherever i want it to look worn. Sometimes i use craft crackle in between the layers to get a cool look. When i’m all done i buff it with dry paper towels that act as a very fine grit sandpaper. No waxing.

    1. That’s awesome! Great tip Rhonda

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